Inserts for use in the refrigerant receivers of vehicular air conditioning systems are known. Often, the inserts will be used as a container for a charge of desiccant and may also include a filter for the refrigerant passing through the receiver. In some known constructions, the insert will include a perforated cylindrical wall that surrounds the desiccant. An example of one insert that meet the above description is shown in EP 1 147 930 B1, which is commonly assigned with the present application.
While many of the known inserts may be suitable for their intended purposes, there is always room for improvements. For example, one functional drawback of known inserts is that the desiccant, which is typically provided in a granular form, is ground up in a relatively short time by abrasion caused by the flow of refrigerant. The abraded desiccant does not perform its intended function as well and, further, must be filtered from the refrigerant.